SATU #18 -TAKE 2 with sunlight?

thought this would be a better picture of my layout describing that I am more than just a mom, I am a cheerleader, playmate, spiritual leader, chauffer, maid, ATM bank and the cook. Amen!!

Thanks again Bree!!

SATU Challenge #18 - It's All About Me

Here is my layout called "I am.....more than just a mom!



Bree, I loved doing this challenge and am looking forward to jumping on board for more this fall!

PS - sorry it took me so long to get this here tonight...my computer would not cooperate so I had to shut down my entire system . anyway thanks again friend!

TGIF...love me some Fridays, now it is time for bed and for tomorrow.

46 Things to do before I am called HOME.....

Okay so I haven't given this much thought since I am trying to survive each day as best I can. I love hearing about others who are doing their list of things that they want to do before they are called home. So do you have list of 100 things (or whatever number you want to put here) things you would like to do before you go home to be with our heavenly Father. I picked 46 because it is my young at heart age!! I am trying to get back to living each day as if it were my last with NO REGRETS!! I do try to make sure those in my life know how much they are loved by me and God but wanted to have some goals and fun things to accomplish. I am goal driven but seem to have gotten in a routine of day by day. I hope all this makes sense!So the 46 things I would like to do are:

1. Go to Africa to see the country I was born in...
2. Go to Portugal where we spent 6 plus years growing up
3. Buy a new Yukon with 3 seats
4. Finish Demi's baby book and her last 8 years
5. Give my testimony at church
6. Sky dive
7. Family reunion in NOV in VA
8. Earn enough money to get Demi into private school
9. Paint my house - outside and inside
10.Clean house - would love that show to come to my house
11. Start a new business
12. Start a new blog for women....
13. Dance class with my dd
14. Get married
15. Go to Australia
16. Win the lottery - I think I have to play before I can win huh?
17. Published in a magazine
18. New furniture in my lv
19. Meet Becca in person
20. Take a photography class
21. Meet Lisa Bearnson
22. Go to an Oprah show
23. Go on a cruise - never have been!
24. Take Demi to Seaworld
25. Take Demi to Disney World
26. Debt Free Again
27. Live in a log cabin built by me
28. Reality show would be fun?
29.
30. go on a mission trip with dd
31. Go on a mission trip with adults
32.
33.
34. Meet Jody F in person too - she is an amazing Godly woman
35.
36.
37.Live by example for my dd/children/friends we are surrounded by
38.
39. Broadcast a NFL game with Howey, Terry, Jimmy and those great guys
40.
41. Play in a band...I am working on our youth band but so far notta?
42 Stay cancer free
43. Adopt a child
44. Win another bowling tournament
45. Be a great neighbor
46. Show as many people as I can God's love -

This is harder than I thought. I used to keep a book of the things I loved and wanted to buy. I may have to start another one and or update my old one. (I used to have things in there like Oakleys, Demirini bat, a pic of the perfect log cabin, a wedding ring I just loved.... what else did I have in that book?) I know one thing, I would like to know the world is better because I was here. What about you??

TFJ in the fun today,

Diana aka Bit

Some of my favorite things - 1st Challenge - Favorite Color(s)

Here is my take on the 1st challenge - I had so much doing this and am looking forward to 2nd challenge posting tomorrow!

My favorite colors are bold and bright with black! I used some papers from my www.scarletlime.com kit from April 2009. Christi has some of the best kits I have ever seen and used in the past year. Marit, thank you for altering my photo back during SISlive09. I really love this photo and editing you made for me!!

Thanks ladies for the challenge!

Scrapbooking contest for the next 5 weeks...interested in playing?

Check this out and if interested then just sign up!

http://dixiepieces.com/forum/register.php

I wanna play and always love a great contest. I guess I haven't lost that competitive drive that keep, me playing ball, bowling and or playing fantasy football in a league of all women! I love to win but have found the game and journey bears so much more than just the WIN. Just playing and trying is a win for me. If anything else comes from the contest or challenges, then it is just a bonus or as some say the cherry on top!!!

Hope you had a great Wednsday (I keep thinking today is Friday so the week may be long..haha).

xoxoxo

Happy 2nd Birthday "Bad Girls"!!

http://wendyrago.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834441e8853ef011571359434970c-pi

Talk about awesome, I personally think that Bad Girls may have the best kits on the market if you are into buying kits with everything you need to make scrapbooking layouts and projects. I love the vintage items but I think my favorite part are the all the flowers they include each month.

Take a look at what is coming up in August - what isn't to love about this?
http://wendyrago.typepad.com/bad_girls/

I hope someday I will be at a place where I can buy one of their kits so that I too can enjoy all the loveliness!!!

xoxoxo

FREE soap - a must have!

Seriously look what I found yesterday...http://skinmakeoverstore.com/free-caffeinated-soap/- I cant wait to get mine in a few weeks!!! Anyone tried this before? I am excited for 2 reasons, one being that I have to have my caffeine and the other is I LOVE peppermint - ooh-lala!!!

Make it a great day everyone and remember God loves you!

Demi's Baptism on Saturday at The Bedford Splash

What an awesome night at the Bedford Splash watching Demi being baptized with our church, family and friends!! I am so proud of Demi for taking this next step of faith. It seems she has grown up so much this summer. God is great, life is good - create and live your best life today. It is a gift!

Hugs and blessings with love on top,
Diana

Great news....

I am excited to say that I have my 2nd job order this week, 2 in one week is great and I am excited about getting busy..hopefully can turn this drought into a harvest in many ways. Stay tuned...

We are off to another swim party for the all star room at CPC tonight....I decided a long time ago that Demi is like the energizer bunny - she will go until the batteries run low...seriously....until she is horizontal and in bed does she turn off or shut down...God help me in the years to come...what will I do? haha

Anyway I hope everyone is have a great week full of God's blessings and that today has been just as wonderful. For me, there is a light at the end of the tunnel...HOPE...not too mention LOVE. (Thanks Bernie and Dana for the Mrs Bairds treats yesterday - you would not believe how many great breads, cinnamon buns, rolls, tortillas, raisin breads - thank you from the bottom of my heart, I am forever grateful. And to Donna today for inviting me to dinner tonight - it does feel good to know you are loved and thought about daily! Also thanks to my mom who has been trying to help me, I feel bad for her since she is living off of unemployment after being laid off after 31 years at the hospital. That is another story but I truly believe that it has been a blessing in many ways especially with my niece Brylee being born in the spring but the bottom line is once a mom, always a mom! love you so much!!) Thanks to my friends and family (church) that have been praying for me, it really does define unconditional love and one of the best ways to show kindness to those you love - thank you!!)

Take care and remember God loves you!!
Diana

Getting out of debt sounds great to me!!

"Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler" Proverbs 6:5

You can read more about getting out of debt by going to www.christianpf.com today.

A new blog for moms wanting to work from home...

http://www.workfromhomemomz.com/category/work-from-home-jobs

From what I can see it has some interesting articles and links to places where you might look for legimate work online so you can work from home. I need to do some more research but you can too.

Ideas for working from home and making some extra money....

I had a friend not too long ago ask about working from home opportunities so I thought I would posts some links from a Christian Women's blog today -

CHRISTIAN WORK AT HOME ARTICLES
Choosing a Work at Home Business
Popular Work at Home Opportunities
Starting Your Own Business
Create Your Own Christian Based Home Business
Is Working at Home Right For You
Choosing a Direct Sales Company You Are Happy to Represent
Excellent Christian Business Opportunities and Ideas
Choosing a Business
Can You Afford to Stay Home
Do What You Do Best
I Know You Want to Work at Home
Tips for Christians Who Work at Home
Five Top Tips for Work-At Home Homeschooling Moms

Back to School specials this week at Walgreens -

Walgreens: Deals for the week of July 19-25, 2009
Here are the best deals at Walgreens this week, with thanks to Mercedes for her hard work in compiling these for us. Stop by her blog here to get the full scoop on all the coupons which will be in Sunday's newspaper insert.BACK-TO-SCHOOL DEALS
$0.09 Items (Limit 12)
--Penway 2-pocket folders--Penway highlighters--#2 pencils--White poster board
$0.19 Items (Limit 6)
--Paper Mate 1.2 Prism pens (10-pack)--Paper Mate mechanical pens (5-pack)--Penway rulers--100 paper clips--2-pocket folders (with prongs)
$0.29 Items
--Penway pencils (yellow 10-pack) and erasers
$0.39 Items
--Penway glue or folders--Scotch tape (Buy 3 and use $1/3 coupon from the 7/12 RedPlum insert to get these for less than $0.06 each!)
$0.49 Items
--Bic Brightliner highlighters (5-pack)--Penway crayons (8 or 24-pack)
$0.59 Items
--Envelopes or pencil sharpener
$0.99 Items
--Crayola colored pencils (12-pack)--3-subject notebook
OTHER WEEKLY DEALS

Thousands of sheets of music for FREE -

I love reading www.moneysavingmom.com 's blog as she finds some great deals. I love sharing them with you as well so I hope you enjoy them.

If you are a musician or a music teacher or know someone who is, you'll definitely want to check out all the pieces available for free here.

I will be back with more shortly.

A new day, a new week, a new outlook - Monday!

So after a good nights rest and almost 12 hours of sleep it is time for a new day, a new week and a new outlook on life today.

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Less is best, I so need to remember this today in the sense of material things and things that clutter our lives such as tv. I need to stay focused and stick to my list of priorities for today. My list of things to do today are a must and then when the day is over I can start working on my new blog which I hope I will start by the end of the month.

So make it a great day everyone and remember that God loves you despite your struggles. Personally speaking I know how difficult the times can be even being a Christian and loving God with the economy paying bills, feeding your family, pleasing your kids over summer and just having money for the everyday things that you need and usually have in your home. Stay positive and remember it is okay to be human and have feelings and for your families to know that too.

Love and blessings being sent your way today -

Daily dose of my roller coast ride lately....

Has left me mentally drained....I just want to cry but what good does that do...it is hard always trying to be upbeat when life just seems to keep beating me down....anyway I am sure it could be worse and that there are situations worse but I wonder...wonder why I bother to get up...so I can receive more calls from companies wanting money when you have tried to explain your situation, running out of food, no tv - no cable, a green pool and just no money....I need medicine for a sinus infection and can't even get that...tired of feeling bad....JUST TIRED...

Sorry to unload my problems...I always feel like I am having a pity party when I talk about what is going on if it is not upbeat and positive..I do try to live my life like this daily but when you don't feel good sometimes it is just hard.

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day..hopefully with some new business....and hope that life will get better financially soon.

Hope you had a great weekend - (I write like there are several reading my blog when there is probably NO ONE even coming here..funny the things we do?)

Have a blessed and joy filled week,
Diana

My layout for Noel Mignon's Summer Traditions - Traditional Summer Birthday 2009

I really enjoyed making this last night for her challenge. Since I had a migraine and spent the evening in bed I wasn't able to get this uploaded by the deadline but I still wanted to get this to her. I love Noel's challenges at http://www.noelmignon.com/ and if you have never ordered one of her kits, you should! They are filled to the hilt with more goodies and she always, I mean always throws in some freebies, stamps....seriously one of the best kits out on the market. I lifted a page from CK's Julye 2009 of " Signs of Summer" by Kim Watson. Loved her layout so much and it was perfect for all of Demi's 9th birthday party. We love having a summer birthday and kicking off our summers with this tradtition each and every year.

Hope everyone had a great Saturday.

Diana

Ten things I love on Thursday!!

I need the week to slow downnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...seriously time is just flying by and I cannot keep up with the days this summer.

Let's do our 10 things we love today:

1. Dr. Pepper
2. AC
3. My laptop
4. My Blistex Lip Medic
5. Work....can't wait to get busier (so excited about my new job order I got this week - woohoo! 6. Facebook and finding 2 more lost friends yesterday
7. Lucy and my RAK for winning her challenge - just love her!
8. Project 365 - so loving this and taking pictures everyday
9. Clean smelling and feeling sheets on my bed today
10. My family...can't wait to see my niece this afternoon - sure have missed her a bunch!I could go on and on but will stick to the first 10 that came to mind today.

Make it a great "Thurs" Day!!!!!!

We ended our great day with a swim night with our Sunday church school group of 3rd-5th graders. Thanks Sharon and Mitch for hosting this for the kids and for cooking and thanks Ms Kriss for a great job planning and bringing all the food!! We love you!!

Wonderful Wednesday celebration today.....

Enjoy all these wonderful deals that I snagged from http://www.survivingthestores.com/ today.

Sonic - Sign up HERE and Sonic will email you a coupon to get a Sonic Chiller for only 99¢. (They are regularly priced at $2.49)

Smokey Bones Bar & Grill - Print a $10/$20 coupon HERE. You can check to see if there is one near you HERE. (Thanks, Coupon Cravings!) exp 7/21

All Detergent - Print a $1/1 coupon HERE (Print two to use on a B1G1 sale)

Venom Energy Drink - Get a coupon in the mail for a FREE Venom Energy Drink when you sign up HERE.

Jack In The Box - Get a coupon HERE for a FREE dessert at Jack In The Box on your birthday. No additional purchase necessary. (Thanks, Money Saving Mom!)

Tyson Skillet Creations - Send in for the full rebate HERE, and use the $1/1 printable coupon or $1/1 coupon from the 6/7 SS to make it a $1 money-maker after rebate!

Mambo Sprouts - Sign up HERE to get their September 2009 coupon book in your mailbox.Don't forget to check out Coupons.com and Redplum to see if there are any coupons that you could use there. They update both sites regularly.

Baskin Robbins Free Ice Cream Cone ages 13-25 yo

I love this and the idea behind giving these away. Have your kids done any volunteer work thi summer? If so print the coupon and enjoy!!

Through July 17, 2009, if you are between the ages of 13 and 25 and have done something to volunteer this Summer, you can print this coupon here and take it to a local Baskin Robbins store for a free regular-sized soft serve cone. Limit one coupon per customer.
It's too bad I'm not two years younger, but I'm pretty sure many of you have teens in your home who would qualify for this. Or maybe you're still young enough yourself!

More late night finds...enjoy!

Even though we dont have these stores here I know many of you might enjoy this if you have one near by.

Through July 17, 2009, you can print a coupon here for a free Iced Beverage with the purchase of any Iced Beverage from Peet's Coffee & Tea.

Sonic Treat for .99 - Chiller!!!

http://www.sonicdrivein.com/prmtns/2009/chiller/index.jsp

FREE Wienerschnitzel chili dogs or small cones today!

On Tuesday, July 14, 2009, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wienerschnitzel locations will be giving away a free Original Chili Dog or Tastee-Freez Small Cone. More details here.

FREE download for Corel/Lexar Pro Paint Shop 1010

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Development/LexarPSPBundlePromo&lc=en&SID=u211456t1294613f0fp0c0s924&trkid=CJ

More FREE items you might be interested in today!

http://www.sundiwear.com/parenthood/freePack.aspx (Thanks, www.moneysavingmom.com)

Thankful Tuesday Today - 3 T's!

Happy Tuesday to you and to me today.

I am thanful for/that...

1. Today and the gift of life
2. My faith, family and friends
3. Our health
4. Demi was asked to go to NRH2O today - ths is the one place she has wanted to go and we would have never been able to afford it this summer
5. A day to work and hopefully figure out how to do it all from my laptop without all my necessary items
6. Rest
7. Carbonated drinks
8. Patience today while dealing with companies I owe money too - seriously why do they think they need to call 100 times a week only for you to tell them when you get some money or make some money you or in this case ME, I will pay you like I have done for the last 20 years? ugh
9. Love and compassion - there are good people in this world!
10. Shannon and her friend were not hurt badly yesterday when her car was totalled...thank you Lord!
11. Church camps for Demi this summer -
12.Adults who volunteer their time for and with kids
13. God's Plan - Plan to WIN, Expect to WIN - 2must reads especially for boys and men and anyone really wanting to get motivated with a christian heart
14.Jesus being the leader of my life (when I let him, occassionally I forget this with my TypeA personality and I can do it - it has been nice to have friends and family help without me having to ask.)
15. Being human, showing emotions and JUST BEING REAL
16. A great day today - determined to get some great things done today and that it is going to be a FANTABULOUS Day!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day, I will be back with some fun deals for today and this week as well.

BiT

Monday madness....just another day :-)

Worn out both mentally and physically and so glad that I have God as my partner in all that I do, to carry me when I can't walk anymore, to lift me up when I am too tired to go on, to dry up my tears when I have cried my last tear and to heal my heart when there seems to not have a beat left...I am so ready for some great things to happen in my life!

As I was sitting here I was thinking that I feel like Daniel in the lion's den and or Diana versus Goliath - do you ever feel like that? God is and was so much bigger and stronger then both of these...amazing huh? So I will carry on and continue to be faithful and hopefully remain peaceful and to remember I am not ALONE in this thing called LIFE.

And then I received this in an email from an angel tonight:


Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God..

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'

He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

I hope that if you too are experiencing some life trials that you will remember you are not alone and that God is there to carry you through. Remember He loves you and wants the best for you. Rest in peace tonight and let him work in your life as he has planned. Hugs!

Free Portraits -

Here is another great deal!

Picture People: Free Portrait Package
What a great deal! Go here to print a coupon for a free portrait package at Picture People. The portrait package consists of one 8x10, two 5x7's, and eight wallet-sized portraits of the same image. Coupon expires July 25, 2009.

So glad my dd is back home and Sunday deals/freebies this week!

I love Sundays! Love going to church and Adam's message today was about Operation Worship or "worth"ship and it was really good. Bottom line is am I or we living lives worthy of God? Do we need an operation to take out the unnecessary and put in what God wants us to have in our hearts and minds?

The best part of today was the return of Demi today from church camp. She had a great time and as always returned with a smile and many fun stories to tell not to mention her "green" posse song. All of it just brings a smile to my face because we are so thankful to CPC and Ms Kriss for making it possible for her to attend this camp this year. Now time for more rest for her!

Here are some specials for the week, I will be back with more as I find them. Enjoy them if you get an opportunity to take advantage of the deals and freebies.

Staples: Free and inexpensive school supplies beginning July 12, 2009
Can Back-to-School sales be upon us already? I thought Summer just started! At any rate, since we're officially homeschooling now, I am certainly going to be taking more advantage of these sales as I've been amazed at how quickly we're going through supplies.Staples is the place to be this next week if you're looking for school supplies. You can see a preview of the ad for July 12-18, 2009 here. Here are some of the highlights:::Use the $5/$20 coupon on the front of the ad to further sweeten your deals or turn them into money-makers!::Bic Fashion Pens are $1. Use the $1/1 coupon here to get them free.::8-packs of pencils are $0.01--no coupon needed. (Valid July 12-15, 2009 only. Limit 2)::Bic White Out is $1. Use the $0.50/1 coupon here to get it for $0.50.::Staples Photo Plus 4 x 6 paper is on sale for $9.99 and you'll get a rebate printed with your receipt which you can mail in for an $8.99 rebate making this $1 after the rebate (Limit 2).::8 1/2 x 11 Copy Paper is on sale for $3.69 and you'll get a rebate printed with your receipt which you can mail in for an $3.998 rebate making this $0.01 after the rebate (Limit 2)

I miss my baby girl!

It has been a busy last couple of weeks and I have to say that it couldn't have been a better month or summer for that matter. I am looking forward to Demi coming home tomorrow from camp in Sherman and hope that God spoke to her heart and confirmed her decision to accept Jesus as her Savior. I am so proud of her and just love her to pieces. The love of a mother is indescribable and something I feel so blessed to experience and feel. Thank you God!!

I would love to encourage you to find a way to perform a RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS TOMORROW....it really does feel wonderful to do something for someone else and to show God's love! It seems every time I do this it comes right back to me...thanks to all who have the heart to help others and without expectations. God is so good!

I am looking foward to church tomorrow and a new lesson and message from Adam as well as sitting in big church, singing some awesome praise songs. Love my church and am thankful for finding this church 10 years ago.

Night and see you tomorrow -

Thankful Tuesday today....

I am so blessed and love starting my day with what and who I am thankful for each day.

Today I am thankful for/that...

1. God's blessings and His protection
2. His timing
3. Metro Camp at Riverbend last week and our invite to joinin the fun while learning more about God and His love for us. One God, One body, One Way, One Life!! So grateful for all the Pastors, children's ministers, leaders from each church, riverbend staff, counselors, rec team, praise team, Shari Williams Morris and Fred for organizing this past week who all take their time and vacations to make this possible for all our children.
4. The CWF - the christian wrestlers federation that participated - the boys loved it!
5. My family, friends and faith - God is so awesome.
6. Demi accepted Jesus as her personal Savior this past Friday
7. Today and the gift of life - so precious!

Hugs your kids one more time today and make sure you let those in your life know you love them and what they mean to you NOW!!

WOW, what a summer!!! FREEBIES and updates...

Here are some Freebies for this week to enjoy!

http://www.acuvue.com/free-trial.htm?flowId=1&rc=V24&skinId=S101&promoID=CPA ( I dont wear contacts but if you do this is awesome!)

http://apps.facebook.com/starbucksicecream/

So here is another great offer that I found today, enjoy!

100 FREE 4 x 6 Prints http://www.seehere.com/startup.do

SeeHere Photo Sharing
Source: www.seehere.com
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Here are two current codes which are good for a free one-night movie rental at any Redbox location:

4J7LF6--Good through July 6, 2009

7HE79B--Good through July 7, 2009

FREE furniture clothe wipes!
http://elegancedream.com/polish_cloths.html